A Story for the Jukebox
by katieupatree
Summary: We all know that Jane and Lisbon are made for each other, they just need a chance to figure it out for themselves. Music themed fluff, friendship and a little angst along the way. There is a better summary inside! Rated T/M to be on the safe side.
1. No Light No Light

Hello everyone.

**Plot:** This is going to be my first collection of one shots, i've written a few multi-chapter fics, but i thought that i would give something a little different a try.  
>Each story is based upon a song from my iPod, so please have a listen as you read if you are able to.<br>I'm rather an Indie girl at heart, so i'm sorry if that isn't really your cup of tea, but i hope that it won't put you off reading as the music is more for inspiration than an actual featured part of what is written.  
>I will forever be waiting for Jane and Lisbon to admit that they are in love with one another, so expect some fluff along the way! But i do like a little angst too :')<p>

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, i am yet to even be in the same country as The Mentalist, let alone own the show. None of the characters you recognise are mine, i am just borrowing them for a little while.  
>Also, the music all belongs to its rightful owners.<p>

Rated T/M to be on the safe side.

I hope you enjoy..

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><p>A Story for the Jukebox<br>01.  
>No Light No Light - Florence and the Machine<p>

Don't make it personal. That was the rule. They were taught right from their very first day to not ever make cases personal; it wasn't their place to fix all that was broken, just to find who was responsible for the damage. You had to find a way to separate your life from your job. It was the only way that any of them managed to stay afloat. Seeing what they saw; the very heart of evil and destruction strewn out in front of them every single day of their lives, it was enough to drive anyone to destruction. Treat every victim with respect and understanding. Show them empathy. Show them that you are doing all that you could to catch the monster responsible for destroying all that they once knew. But don't ever allow the guilt to creep in. Don't lie awake at night thinking about every detail you learnt that day. Don't look into the mirror and see the victim's face staring back at you. Don't hear their screams whistling through the wind. Don't make it personal. It was easier said than done.

The call had come in early on Tuesday morning. Breakfast was abandoned half made in the CBI kitchen and the SUVs were on their way to the crime scene in less than ten minutes. Lisbon and Jane arrived first; met by two local police officers who escorted by them to see the body. The sun was still low in the sky, but it was setting up to be yet another day of blaring sun shine.  
>Jane was following a pace or two behind Lisbon; it really was no wonder she missed so many of 'his' little details, she was always walking too quickly. He was certain the she wouldn't have seen the slightly deeper print of a left foot through the grass, or at least she wouldn't realise its importance. Jane didn't exactly know himself; but that wasn't to say it wasn't key to solving the crime. It was this thought that had distracted him from the information being relayed by Officer Harris. It was the footprints in the grass that had left him unprepared for what this crime scene would mean for him. One step, two step, and he was stood by Lisbon's side once again. Three step, four step, look down. But this wasn't the body of a business man. Not the remains of a stripper. Nor the bones of an ex convict. No, lying in the damp grass was the body of a little girl, barely recognisable under her tarnished skin. Gold hair lay roughly underneath her. Dirt clung to her sky blue pyjamas. Dried blood stood out in stark comparison to her ghostly pallor. Jane looked away, but he knew that nothing would rid his tormented mind of the image. A million thoughts rushed through his mind all at once. Dark, hidden memories of the past; of a note on the door and the unmistakable metallic stench of blood. Of holding his own little girls mangled body in his arms. And thoughts of the parents who would right now be desperately searching for their baby girl. The pain that was waiting for them when they answered the phone to Lisbon. Or, was this of their doing? Had they dumped their own child; broken and scared and discarded like rubbish. Lisbon had once told him that all of their victims were important; it didn't matter what they had done in their lives, it was their duty to fight for their justice. But this little girl, what good was justice when such a beautifully innocent life had been stolen away? His feet seemed to be carrying him away without any input from his mind. He could hear Lisbon shout after him. He could hear the steady thud of her feet on the ground not far behind him. He felt for a second the warmth of her hand through the sleeve of his shirt as she grabbed tightly to him, but he pushed her off without any effort at all. And then nothing of the real world seemed to exist anymore. He opened his eyes and the sun seemed to blare and burn away his surroundings. He closed them and the light was replaced by a darkness that brought a million heartbreaking images rushing past. His feet kept moving, and his mind kept allowing them to do so. Until eventually he reached a destination that was much more familiar than he would ever admit, and his whole body slumped on to one of the thread bear stools, and his hands clasped tightly at the cold glass that would be the only thing to get him through the day.<p>

Jane didn't know how long he had been sat at the bar of The Boy's Head, and nor did he care. The amber liquid he drank was replaced as soon as the glass emptied, and that was all the mattered to him. It was getting late, he knew that much, not even his mindless stupor could keep out the increasing roar of happiness and celebration that seemed to be all around him. The bell atop the door chimed regularly and the face sat beside him had changed many times since he had arrived. Time was irrelevant. What did it matter when the life you lived wasn't really a life at all? For years he had simply existed; revenge could only keep you going for so long. But Jane had suddenly become acutely aware that the dangerous passion on which he thrived was slowly dying, somehow Red John was losing his hold on him. His eyes flashed back to the innocent child who lay under the San Francisco sun that morning and he realised that revenge wouldn't change a thing; that nothing could bring back his family, and nothing could ever replace them. So what was left? He was a man without a single tie to the world; and that terrified Jane more than he had ever expected.

He knew she had come into the bar. He knew that she would. Teresa Lisbon, determined to save every last lost soul that walked the earth. He could see her now, frantic determination set across her features. Cheeks flushed with the relief of finding him; although he was certain that it wouldn't of taken her long once she started looking, Lisbon knew him almost as well as he knew her. She was stood between him and the next stool at the bar, but he couldn't look up at her. No, he couldn't seem to do anything other than watch as each of the ice cubes crashed together in the bottom of his swirling glass. Clink. Clink. Clink.  
>'<em>Jane.'<br>_Her voice was soft and caring, and yet he still refused to look up at her. Instead he flicked his wrist a little more and the ice crashed into the side of the glass each time it whirled around. Clink. Clink. Clink.  
>'<em>Jane!'<br>_Lisbon repeated herself, not quite sounding as she usually did, and yet still clear above the hubbub of the bar. But Jane just kept staring down at his glass.  
>'<em>Patrick, for god's sake i that know you can hear me.' <em>Impatience and fear winning over her attempts at staying calm she clamped her hands tightly over his arms to stop his incessant swirling of the glass. The cold liquid splashed over the rim and fell down in icy drops onto both of them. Lisbon sat on the stool beside him; settling with the fact that at least she had his attention if not an open line of conversation.  
><em>'You can't just disappear Jane. You can't just take off for the entire day without a single word to let us know that you are ok. To let me know that you are ok. You know that we worry about you, that we want to help. I know it isn't as simple as just talking about your problems and having them magically disappear. My goodness Jane i know that more than you seem to realise. But you have to let us try; you can't just keep running away from your whole life.'<br>_Lisbon was exhausted with it all. With the work, and the victims, and the families who had their lives destroyed. With going to be at night and knowing that it was all going to start over again as soon as her alarm went off. With the creeping doubt that all that they did made no difference in end. But most of all, she was exhausted with Jane. With the glances of happiness that she saw within him, only for them to be replaced by something that scared her to think of. With never knowing how to make it better. With never being enough for him.  
>For a moment she thought that she had gotten through to him; at least for the night. That perhaps she wasn't as meaningless to him as she felt. But then Jane's eyes met hers and she thought that her heart might shatter into a million pieces right in front of him. Death leaves a body as an empty shell; nothing but the physical evidence that life once existed. But so did grief. Lisbon looked into his bright blue eyes and saw nothing at all. No anger. No hope. No light. An empty casing of an already broken man, and she knew what was coming before the words even formed on his lips.<br>_'What life?'  
><em>She wanted to throw the glass that was now lying between them; she wanted to watch it smash hard against the wall in hopes that it would shock him back into the real world. She wanted to grasp him tightly in her arms and feel hot, salty tears against her shirt. She would do anything at all if she thought it might bring about a response, but deep down she knew that nothing would make a single ounce of difference; at least not right now. Sometimes all you could do was be there, and hope with all that had that the darkness wouldn't last forever. And so there they sat; a CBI agent and her consultant, and they were both completely silent as they drank glass after glass of burning liquid.

_'Who did it?' _At first she wasn't sure if he had really spoken. It was a voice that she barely recognised; heavy with the scent of alcohol and cracking around the edges of each letter. But then she turned her head towards the man she had come to rescue, and answered a question that she didn't quite understand.  
>'<em>Her Father. He caved after twenty minutes with Cho; drunk in hopes of forgetting what he had done, but the evidence was too greatly stacked against him for it to last. Cried out that he was sorry, said it was an accident. Told us that he loved his little girl, that he would never intentionally hurt her. The bastard won't see light again.' <em>  
>It wasn't so much her words, but how she spoke them. Trembling lips and held back tears. Anger. Hatred. Passion. Something snapped inside of Jane's head. 'What life?' he had asked, and she had stayed despite it. She had stayed not only for them, but for every single victim that passed through their case files. She had stayed for the little girl who had been betrayed by the one man who was supposed to love her for her entire life. She had stayed because despite what Lisbon had been trained to think, she cared about every one she ever met. Perhaps they didn't feel things in the same way, perhaps they weren't affected in the same way, but that didn't change the tears that stained her eyes because of the horrors of what they saw; of what the world made her feel. Don't make it personal. It was impossible not to. <em><br>'I know. I know that i can't keep running away from my life, but i don't know how to stop.' _His voice was still heavy with the day, but Lisbon knew that he meant it all the same._  
>'You just have.'<br>_Lisbon smiled up at him, and although it wasn't bright and it wasn't cheerful, it was real and that meant more to him than fake happiness and pretending that everything was perfectly ok in the world. And so Jane smiled back at the one person who he loved in this cold, concrete world, and the light flickered into his eyes once more. Teresa Lisbon. CBI Agent. Saviour. Best friend.  
>Maybe the world was horrific, and maybe some people were filled with evil. But together they had the power to make it a little less of an awful place, and that was enough.<p>

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><p>There we have number one.<br>Please let me know what you thought? It really would mean a lot to me as i've never written anything in this format before.

Thank you for reading, Katie :)


	2. I Want The One I Can't Have

Hello everyone, i hope you are well?  
>I found a spare hour in-between my maths homework, so i thought that i would add another update :)<p>

This story is based upon a song by The Smiths. If you don't listen to any other song from this collection, then i do wholeheartedly suggest that you give The Smiths the chance that they deserve. They aren't for everyone, and it might take you a couple of listens, but they (in my opinion at least) produced some of the most beautiful music to ever exist.

Ok, on with the story :')

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><p>A Story for the Jukebox<br>02.  
>I Want The One I Can't Have – The Smiths<p>

Jane wasn't sure exactly when it had happened, or even if it could be traced back to a specific day. He supposed that if he were being completely honest with himself, it had slowly been creeping up on him from the very first day that he ever saw Teresa Lisbon. Love. It was a very funny thing indeed. How could you ever be sure of exactly what you were feeling, when the mere action of feeling took away all rational thinking. This wasn't something that he could study and analyse. It wasn't a clean and simple thing based upon evidence. His heart was a mess; a wonderfully uplifting mess.  
>When they had first met he could barely face dragging himself through the endless stream of nothingness that consumed him. Fuelled only by crippling grief and a hell bent search for revenge. And as awful as it now sounds, he had needed to feel that; it was perhaps the only thing that could have kept him alive.<br>Then he began to notice the people around him. Cho who seemed on the outside to be a man made of stone, but who really felt every ounce of emotion a thousand times over. VanPelt who was just as scared as she was brilliant; desperate to impress, but doing so without even trying. Rigsby who managed to keep them all floating above the horrific world that they were witness to, and yet didn't ask for a thing in return. And then there was Lisbon. The woman that he credited his life too, not that she would ever allow him to admit it. The one person who he had ever considered to be his best friend. Teresa Lisbon; truly the most important person in the world to him.  
>But when had that friendship turned into something else? When had he stopped simply loving her, and realised that he was in fact in love with her. It seemed silly; like some childhood question. Do you like-like her? That is what they used to ask at school. Funny isn't it, how real life almost always ends up mirroring our childhood. Perhaps adults don't give children the credit they deserve; perhaps it is the grown up world that needs to be taught how to live. It's all so simple when you are six years old, so why on earth do we all feel the need to complicate it so much? Why can't 'like-liking' someone be enough? Why are there so many options to where a relationship can go? Now he was just over thinking the entire situation, and nothing good ever came of that. The facts were simple. Patrick Jane was in love with Teresa Lisbon. The specifics of dates and times weren't of any importance at all. It was all just an attempt to distract himself from the real problem; telling Lisbon. The woman was literally tied at the hip to a firearm, and picking the wrong moment could in all seriousness result in its use. She really was very infuriating at times. Luckily, he had the perfect plan; now all he had to do was to set it in motion.<p>

Lisbon wasn't even within touching distance of her office and she could already sense an intrusion. Of course this would mean none other than Patrick Jane; she just hoped that his antics wouldn't result in too much paperwork. She still had half a pile left to get through from his last ridiculous scheme to get a confession by setting a piglet loose in a court room. Yes, it had somehow worked, but that certainly didn't make her job any easier! He really was very infuriating at times.  
>Nothing seemed to be out of place, at least not at first glance. No farm animals. No exploding frogs. Not even a riffled through desk. And yet somehow this just added to her trepidation.<br>It was only when she sunk into her desk chair that she noticed the fluorescent pink post-it note stuck to her computer screen.  
>'<strong>Look in the fridge. Second shelf from the top.' <strong>Was neatly written across the middle, slowly peeling it off of the screen yet another note was revealed, this one on ever brighter orange paper.  
><strong>'Go on. I dare you.'<br>**This definitely couldn't be good!

With a little nervousness, Lisbon quickly walked back out of her office and across to the break room. Luckily no one else was in there; she feared that whatever lay in store would probably take some explaining.  
>Opening the door she was relieved to find that nothing flung itself at her. In fact, all that she could see on the shelf was a plate of left over pizza and a box with Rigsby's name stuck to the top. Lisbon was, secretly of course, a little disappointed; as much as she tried to find his crack pot schemes annoying, they really did brighten up her day. Just as she was about to huffily shut the door, a peek of bright green caught her eye. Manoeuvring the plate a little, she revealed a single Reese's Peanut Butter Cup sitting atop yet another note. Lisbon popped half of the chocolate treat into her mouth and set to reading the latest note,<br>**'Reese's for Reece – Clever, aren't I?  
>But onto the next clue, you'll need to head home for this one...'<strong>  
>Very funny Jane, very funny. Not that she minded the matching names, not when it meant she got her favourite chocolate. But, the sweetness soon wore off, and a genuine fear for the safety of her lovely little apartment took its place. What on earth was her damn consultant up to this time?<p>

Lisbon had made it out of the CBI without anyone asking where she was going. Not that anyone would, well, other than her team and they were all busy with their own paperwork. But Jane's plans always put her a little on edge. It wasn't surprising really, for the most part they ended in an almost disaster and the threat of legal action. But her curiosity was piqued, and there was no way in hell that she was leaving him loose in her home for any longer than he had already been!  
>Walking up to the front door she could see the tell-tale post-it note. Yellow this time, but the same unmistakable handwriting adorned its surface.<br>**'Don't worry, i used the spare key.'  
><strong>Don't worry! Not only had Jane led her own some kind of spontaneous Easter egg hunt, stolen her key and let himself into her house, but she was seemingly just going to let him carry on with it. It wasn't her house that Lisbon was worried about, it was her mental health. So, she did the only thing that seemed to make any sense, and headed in to search for her wayward consultant.**  
><strong>  
>'<em>Jane, get yourself out of my room right now and i might not kill you!' <em>She figured pulling her gun might be a little extreme, but if it meant an explanation she wasn't opposed to the idea. So far she had searched every other room besides her bedroom, and not an ounce of Jane was to be found in any of them. He really didn't have any concept of privacy what so ever.  
>Not getting any form of reply she stomped through the door, fully prepared to at least throw a pillow at his unfairly blonde hair. But her room was completely empty; exactly the same as she had left it this morning, save the softly lingering smell of his aftershave and what appeared to be yet another Peanut Butter Cup. Stepping over to the bed she settled onto the edge and picked up her second dose of chocolate; they were just too good to resist. Lying under this one was an envelope, addressed to her in Jane's curly script. Finishing off the last bite of chocolate, Lisbon unfolded the envelope and pulled out its contents. Lines of perfectly neat hand writing met her as she opened the letter that was inside; Jane really was in the mood for complicated today.<p>

**Dear Lisbon,**

**I hope you have enjoyed my little treasure hunt so far? I am going to go ahead and presume that you have as we both know that you wouldn't be reading this if you hadn't. I promise that we are nearly at the end, but there is still one more clue that i need to give you, only you must first know my reasoning behind this all.**  
><strong>I thought it was best that i not be in the room when you read this; i can practically see your hand wavering over your gun as you do so, and in all honesty the last stapler you threw at me (unfairly might i add! The piglet got the confession, didn't he? And, you have to admit, he was really very cute) hurt enough to last me a little while longer. I have something that i need to tell you; something that i am not entirely sure that i should be saying, but i know that i have to. I've waited long enough to find the courage to do so, and i know now that even if the outcome of this isn't what i am hoping for, you must know the truth.<strong>

**You, Teresa Lisbon, are the most incredible woman that i have ever known. Never before have i found it so hard to explain what i feel; i used to think that it was simple, that emotions just needed to be kept in their place and that the world would carry on regardless. It's only now that i see how foolish i have been, and you are the reason for this. You saved me. In every sense of the word. I know that i would not be here today if it hadn't of been for you; i would have acted only out of anger and revenge, and destroyed all chances of ever knowing what it felt like to be given a second chance. You made me see sense and you saved me from myself. But it wasn't just logic and straight talking, it was so much more than that. Anyone could have told me to think about abiding by the law, anyone could have made me see that anger wasn't enough to last forever, but you did so much more. Your friendship was the only thing to get me out of bed in the mornings, and your presence was the only thing to stop me from doing something stupid. I don't believe that there will ever be anything i can do to truly show you how grateful i am, but i like to think that somehow you know.**  
><strong>There was a time when i thought that i might not ever feel the pure thrill of life again, but you have proven me wrong. I love you, and i don't just mean as my friend. I am in love with you. I am in love with my best friend, and it feels so utterly wonderful.<strong>

**I hope that i have not scared you; that you are still there reading this. If you are, and if you feel the same way, then you are probably just as mad as i am, but perhaps that is the reason we feel the way we do for one another. But if not, then that is ok too. I know this is a lot to take in, and i always knew that you might not feel the same. But i had to tell you the truth. Even if you are the one that i can't have, i had to try.**  
><strong>If you are still prepared to trust in my 'crack pot schemes' then i am waiting, all you have to do now is follow this last note...<strong>

**Come outside.**

Lisbon didn't even stop for a second to think about what she was doing; she didn't have to. With the letter still tightly grasped in her left hand, she couldn't help the flutter of excitement that washed over her as she practically ran through her living room. Her hand shook as it pulled at the cold metal of the door handle; heart beating faster than ever before she stepped outside and headed into the bright sunshine and the promise of the greatest love that she had ever experienced.

Jane was stood a few feet from her; a leaf jauntily sticking out from his usually perfect hair, probably from hiding in the bushes to wait for his plan to take effect. He really was ridiculous! But in a very, very good way. In a way that had Lisbon a little weak at the knees when his eyes met hers, so much so that she had to steady herself before walking any further.

'_You got my message?' _His lips quipped as she reached him, eyes bright and hopeful.  
>'<em>I got your message.' <em>Lisbon's voice shook a little as she spoke, but that didn't stop her smile from mirroring that of Jane's.  
>And then neither one of them was quite sure what the next move should be; nor who should be the one to take it. Jane hadn't thought past the last note. But now here he was, so close that he could almost reach out and grab his future with both hands, and yet not quite sure how. And Lisbon who was always so calm and composed was certain that her heart might just beat out of her chest at any moment. She had wanted this for so long, but had been too afraid to admit it even to herself. A hidden hope that one day Jane would be able to move on; to remember the past without it destroying him. To have a real life again. It had always just been a pipe dream; a longing that was best left in the darkness, but now everything had changed.<br>So there they stood. Neither quite sure of what to do, but both certain of what they wanted. A real life, spent together. Agent and Consultant. Best friends. Lovers. It was all ahead of them, they just had to be brave enough to get it. To find the courage to take that last leap into the life that they both deserved.  
>Lisbon stepped even closer to Jane, forgetting all notions of boundaries and hidden truths, this was the beginning of something wonderful and the hint of nerves was simply making it all the more exciting. Jane responded, closing the gap between them; his hands found themselves in the thick locks of Lisbon's raven hair. Their lips met, softly and a little unsure of themselves at first, but then the entire world melted away and nothing could ever take away from the moment of pure, exhilarating joy that they felt. Great love stories talked of fireworks and fanfare, but this was so much more than that. This was real. This was true happiness. The universe had finally brought them what they needed; a chance at love, and chance at life.<p>

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><p>Thank you for reading.<br>Please let me know what you thought?

Hope to see you soon, Katie


	3. Scarborough Fair

Hello everyone!  
>I hope you enjoy this next little story...<p>

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><p>A Story for the Jukebox<br>03.  
>Scarborough Fair – Simon and Garfunkel<p>

It was September 1986, and the late summer sun was shining brighter than it had for many years. It was the last day of the Scarborough Fair, and Patrick was expected to be ready to 'perform' as soon as the sun was up. His whole life was a damn performance; not a thing in it seemed to be true anymore. Even the fair was a lie. They were on the outskirts of Chicago, and nothing would ever make any difference to that. The entire place smelt of the City; damp and dreary air that blew in and shattered the allusion of wide open spaces and green fields. Patrick knew what the real Scarborough Fair was like, or at least he had read about it in the library a very long time ago. An ancient tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, but it was still celebrated today. The British seaside town that welcomed weary travellers and magnificent acts for a few weeks before the summer ended; he imagined it to be a wonderful place. But this, this was just an awful caricature and he couldn't wait for it to be over with so that they could finally move on. The next town they reached, Patrick planned on staying in. It wouldn't take much to set himself up for a while, and it wasn't like anyone could stop him. He had just turned eighteen; not that anyone had noticed. He'd spent his birthday tricking people who were too stupid to keep a hold of their money by doing mindless magic tricks that he had been performing since he was ten. Magic. There wasn't an ounce of magic in the awful scams that he played on people. It used to be fun, years ago before his Dad realised that you got an awful lot more money by scamming someone than you did entertaining them. That's when the magic disappeared, and that is why he would too. This wasn't the life he wanted, and he was determined to get himself out of it. But first he had one more day to get though, the 'day of the rich' his Dad called it; everyone knew that the last day of the Scarborough Fair was the best, and subsequently the busiest. They'd make more in the first few hours than they had in entire days, and Patrick was dreading every single second of it.

Scarborough Fair. Perhaps the only good memories that Reece had left; well, of them all being together. They hadn't been for years through fear of their Father finding out, but she wasn't going to stand for it anymore. Just because he was too drunk and selfish to care about them, it didn't mean that they deserved a life of misery. She remembered the first time that they had come here as a family; it wasn't long after Tommy's fifth birthday, and Matthew couldn't have been born yet as it was definitely James who was in the pushchair. It had rained for a week, and a little Reece had gone to bed with her fingers crossed that it would stop in time for them to go to the Fair. Her Mum had always told them stories of the dancers and the magicians, of the ice creams the size of your head and the music that seemed to play for an eternity. When they walked through the gates she had been immediately absorbed into the wonders that were all around, and the smile that had spread across her Daddy's face as he returned to the place he knew so well.  
>You see, her Father hadn't always been the disgusting excuse of a man that he was now, and it was those memories that had convinced Reece that she had to take her Brothers to the Fair one last time.<p>

'_For God's sake, stop dragging your feet boy and go make some money! It doesn't earn itself you know.' _His Dad was trying to keep his voice down so that none of the visitors would hear him, but the meaning wasn't any less clear. Patrick decided that it was best to just get as far away from him as possible; making money was easy on days like this, so he didn't need to stay near the main traders circle. He'd go and have a last look around the Fair; he didn't plan on ever coming back, and he supposed it would be nice to take a real memory away with him. And if he happened to walk by an easy targets then he'd make a quick profit out of them to save the row that would come if he came back empty handed.  
>He turned away from his Dad who was already scouting out his next mark, and walked as quickly as he could into the ever growing crowd of people. Patrick headed out towards the edges of the Fair, wanting to be as far away from the 'entertainers' as he possibly could. He was in a world of his own; the music was the only upside to the dreadful place, so loud that you could disappear into it.<br>Then a young girl who couldn't even have been his age caught his attention. At first glance there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about her, but then that is where the rest of the world made their first mistake. A first glance wasn't enough to know the truth; people were far too good at hiding themselves to be revealed so easily, you really had to pay attention to see the world for what it was. Patrick wasn't quite sure what it was, but he knew she was different to every other mindless wanderer that had walked through the gates; she was special somehow. So special in fact that he had an undeniable desire to know her; to reveal the truth behind her wavy raven hair and forest green eyes. And so, for lack of a better expression, he decided to follow her for a little while.

Everything about the place seemed to be exactly the same, and yet nothing felt as it had when she used to first walk through those gates. Scarborough Fair had become rather a tradition in their family, and each year of going only added to the excitement. Reece would walk into the Fair and the whole world turned into a fairy story; everywhere you looked there was something or someone to amaze you. She would take in that first breath of sickly sweet air and feel like she had finally come home; for one day out of the year she felt complete and utter contentment. But now, ten years on from her first trip here, not a single thing in her life remained the same. Perhaps that was why it all felt so odd and disjointed; the rest of her life was, she had been foolish to think that this place would be any different. It was just a silly dream to have one last perfect day with her family, but that was an outdated notion it itself. They weren't a family anymore; they hadn't been for years now. All that was left were the empty shells of the people who they used to be, and a gaping hole where their Mum should have been. It took all that she had not to just break down right there; to throw herself on the floor and cry on the shoulder of anyone who would allow her to do so. But that was not an option, she had to be the grown up now. Her mum was dead, and her Father might as well have been. And so, she was in charge now, and she was determined that her three little Brother's would enjoy the day; even if the mere act of being there was slowly shattering her heart.

'_I said no Tommy, and that is final.'  
>'I'm not a little kid Reece, i can look after them for half an hour.'<br>'I know you're not, but we came here together, as a family, and that is how we are going to stay.'  
><em>Reece had been arguing with Tommy, the eldest of her Brothers, for the past quarter of an hour. He wanted to take James and Matthew off for an hour or two, but she was always a little scared of letting them off on their own. It wasn't that she liked treating them as if they were still kids, but she had spent years protecting them from their Father and it was hard to let them go.  
><em>'I've heard it all now. Family. What bloody family? We haven't been a family for years and you know it as well as i do.' <em>Tommy had snapped, and he regretted it the minute he spat out the words, but he couldn't back down now. No matter how much it hurt to see the tears threatening to fall from his Sister's eyes.  
><em>'Fine. Go, all of you can go. Just meet me at the gate at half past six else we'll miss the last bus home.' <em>  
>Tommy stormed off, guilt weighing him down with every step, but he just had to keep going. Matthew and James stayed routed between their Brother and Sister, not sure of where to go. Reece looked at them, the anger gone from seconds before and replaced with a loving smile, '<em>It's ok, you go with your Brother. Have a good time, and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble, ok?'<br>_They seemed to waver for a moment or two, before doing as she said and running to catch up with Tommy.  
><em>'I love you' <em>Reece shouted after them, but her voice was too shaky and the music too loud for them to hear her. When they blended in with the rest of the people she couldn't hold in the tears any longer. Her whole body shook and her eyes clouded so much that the world turned into a muddle of colours. She kept walking; head down in the hope that no one would notice her, until she found a seat to collapse into. Shaky hands wiped at the heavy tears, but they just kept falling harder. This wasn't what she had wanted. They hadn't even gotten through an hour without her ruining it. Nothing was the same as it was when she was six, and today was just another day of broken hope and heartache.

Patrick had seen it all, and his heart broke for the beautiful girl with the forest eyes. Reece was her name, or at least that is what one of the boys had called her. He presumed they were her Brothers. The eldest wasn't much younger than she was, but the other two still appeared a little young to be here without their parents. An observation that was almost certainly confirmed by the argument he had just witnessed. But now all that was left was the girl, and Patrick knew that he had to help her, even if it was just for the day. It was strange; she seemed to be a mosaic of a hundred different people. Nothing quite fitting her entirely, like she was somehow being forced to take part in a life that wasn't completely her own; something which he knew all too well. Maybe that is what drew him so intensely to her; whatever the reason, he had made it his job to save her.

Reece looked up when she felt the warmth of another body next to her own; at first she had thought it was Tommy come back to apologise, but she had known deep down that that was just wishful thinking. No, the warmth was not that of her Brother, but of a stranger holding out a pale blue handkerchief to her. She thought for a moment about excusing herself, but she really didn't think that her legs could carry her right now, so she gave in and accepted his kind offer.  
>It was only after wiping her eyes that she could get a proper look at the boy. He wasn't much older than herself, but she thought that he had probably lived a lot more than she had. His hair was a deliciously sandy blonde, curly and a little messy, but she liked it all the more for that. Eyes so blue that Reece feared she might drown in them if she looked for too long, and a smile to equal their unique beauty.<br>'_Thank you.' _She tried to smile, but her lips still quivered a little as she did. He took the handkerchief back off of her, and Reece was sure that he must work here. He had the hands of someone who worked at the Fair; not in a horrible way, in fact she thought that they were very lovely.  
><em>'You're welcome. Are you ok now? I know that is a silly question, i just mean, i hope that whatever it is that you are sad about can be fixed, and that you know that it can.'<em> Patrick wasn't usually so tongue tied; on the contrary he was rather famous around here for his ability to charm anyone at all with nothing more than a simple conversation. But this girl was different, she wasn't just anyone. She was most definitely someone, and he hoped that she would allow him to spend a little longer with her.  
><em>'Yes, i'm ok, thank you...'<br>'Oh, Patrick, my name is Patrick.'  
>'Well, thank you Patrick, very much.' <em>Feeling as if she could at least manage to pull herself up without toppling over, Reece went to leave, but her curious stranger got up and followed right along beside her. And oddly, she didn't mind at all.

He had been right about her name, she was born Teresa, but everyone had called her Reece for as long as she could remember. It seemed to fit her perfectly. Patrick had also learnt about her three brothers and the reason that they were here alone. Their Mum had died in a car accident when Reece was still a kid, and their father hadn't been sober for a single day since. Patrick watched every minute movement that she made as they walked along together. She really was the most fascinating person that he had ever met, and he soaked in every ounce of information that she was willing to share.  
>'<em>I'm sorry; you must think i'm completely mad. I guess it is just sometimes easier to talk to people who you don't know. It's safer somehow i suppose; they can't even use it against you. Do you know what i mean?'<br>'Yes, i know exactly what you mean.' _And he did. Telling the truth to someone that you were never going to see again was easy; what did it matter how much they knew, it's not as if you would ever see one another again.  
>'<em>Do you want to make a deal?' <em>She had stopped walking and was looking him right in the eye.  
>'<em>What sort of deal?' <em>Patrick knew, and he guessed that she probably did too, that in that moment he would have agreed to anything that she had said, but it seemed right to ask.  
>'<em>We do just that –we tell each other everything that we have ever wanted to get off of our chests but have been too afraid to do so in the past. We aren't allowed to judge one another, just listen and be there for each other. Like the ultimate secret diary.'<br>'You my dear, have yourself a deal. Only first, we have to go somewhere special, and i know of the perfect place.' _He didn't even wait for her to reply, just grabbed her hand and started to run as fast as he could through the hoards of people. Patrick could hear her laughter above the music and turned for an instant to see her smile into the sun as they ran towards his favourite place in the world. She didn't ask where they were going, didn't shout to him to slow down, she just kept holding tight to his hand and ran easily along with him. Two hours ago, Patrick had wanted nothing more than to stay in bed the entire day, and now he had the promise of something truly wonderful. A single day of living for something more than money and old tricks; and he was so very glad that Reece was allowing him to do so with her.

Reece found herself sat atop the scaffolding that had been keeping one of the old buildings up for as long as she could remember. It was an old hotel building that she had never seen open before, but according to the Father it was were all the wealthy visitors used to stay in the first few years of the Fair. When she was little, she and Tommy had tried to take a look inside, but had been caught before they managed to get any closer than the main doors. But now here she was, in the one place that she had always wanted to be, and it was even more magnificent than she ever imagined. They had climbed through one of the gaps left by broken windows and out onto the scaffolding boards that surrounded the entire building. It wasn't so much the hotel that was amazing, but all that you could see when you looked down from it. The whole of Scarborough Fair was hers to see; from the gates at the entrance to the brightly coloured booths that lined the main circle. Everything that she remembered from the first time she had been was still here, and from so high up it all remained exactly and wonderfully the same.  
><em>'Why did you bring me here?' <em>She was still a little breathless when she spoke.  
>'<em>Do you not like it? We could go somewhere else, i wouldn't mind.'<br>'No, no it isn't that at all. I think this is the most wonderful place that i have ever been, i only meant why did you choose this as your perfect place?'  
><em>Patrick was relieved to hear the words that she spoke, he'd never taken anyone else here before, and he wanted her to love this place as much as she did.  
>'<em>It is the only part of the Fair that i like anymore. Me and my Dad have been coming here for as long as i can remember, and every year a little more of it loses its appeal. We own one of the old trader's booths, and i used to spend my whole year wishing that we could go to Scarborough Fair, but now all he cares about it making money. This place used to be so magical, but all of that is gone. Only, when i come up here and look down on everything in miniature, it's as if i've gone back in time and everything is as it should be again. You can't tell that the traders are begging for money, and you can't hear the dumb comments from customers who lost more money than they meant to. I know it's silly, but the whole world seems a better place from up here.'<br>_Reece thought that, that might just be the most beautiful thing she had ever heard, but she wouldn't say that as it would probably embarrass him too much. So instead she linked her hand with his and smiled down at the beautiful miniature world that they were witness too.  
>They spent the rest of the afternoon pointing out their favourite parts of the Fair. Patrick let Reece into the secrets of working at the Fair, and the happy memories that the first few years held for him, and in return Reece shared some of the most precious memories that she had.<p>

Just after five o'clock that evening they climbed back down into the ever happy crowds and joined back in with the real world. They walked hand in hand through to the food stalls and Patrick managed to sneak a free wand of candy floss off of one of his old friends who owned the best sweetie booth that he had ever been to. The sun was beginning to disappear down into the earth, but the light seemed to hold out for as long as it could. He watched Reece as they made their way to the bandstand; the light softening her features even more. And in that moment, she seemed to him to be the sixteen year old girl that she should be, with sticky lips from the pink sugar and a gentle smile passing over her entire being. She turned her head towards Patrick and caught him watching her, but she didn't seem to mind; just smiled brighter and squeezed his rough hand that was still tightly clasped in her own.

As they reached the old wooden bandstand Reece's heart sped up with recognition of the old folk songs that were playing; soft lyrics that her Father would sing for weeks after they visited the Fair as he danced around the kitchen with their Mum. The memories brought tears that stung her eyes, but she breathed in deeply and managed to stop them from spilling over; it was such a stark comparison to the man who was sat at home now, and it was that which hurt the most. Knowing that their life could have been so different if only their Mum had left the house five minutes earlier, but she couldn't think like that, not anymore. For years she had lied awake at night going through scenario after painful scenario, but not a single one of them made an ounce of difference. This was her life, and she just had to make the best of what she could.  
>They stood for ten minutes or so simply enjoying the music before Patrick turned to Reece and asked if she wanted to dance.<br>'_But no one else is, everyone will be watching us?'  
>'What does it matter? You're never going to see any of these people again in your life, so just do what will make you happy.'<br>_She thought about it for a second, and realised that she would be making a huge mistake if she refused to dance, and so she took his outstretched hand and followed her beautiful stranger to the middle of the grass dance floor.  
>She closed her eyes and allowed herself to be guided by him, the music pulling them both gently around and around in dizzy turns. Eventually she felt brave enough to open her eyes, and found his beautiful blue ones staring intently into her own when she did so.<br>'_You look very pretty with flushed cheeks.' _Reece just giggled slightly at his cheeky compliment, knowing that she would be blushing even more because of it.

More people began to follow their lead, and after a few songs the whole of the dance floor was filled with couples lovingly holding on to one another. The band kept playing the hauntingly beautiful music that they would both remember for the rest of their lives, and their feet kept turning about the dance floor.  
>'<em>Patrick, do you promise not to laugh if i say something silly?'<br>'Yes, I promise.' _  
>She lifted her head off of his shoulder to look him in the eye again, <em>'I'd very much like to stay in this moment for my entire life. I think i would be very happy if i could do that; if the world just stopped turning and we were allowed to stay, I'd be very happy indeed.'<br>_And Patrick didn't laugh, because to him it wasn't a silly thing at all. If he could have stopped the world himself, he would have. He leant down and pressed a kiss gently to her cheek, her pale skin soft and cool against his lips, '_Maybe it will happen.'  
><em>And although they both knew it was an impossibility; no matter how happy they were, two people couldn't stop the world, it gave a little flicker of hope that although the moment couldn't last, perhaps their happiness would.

As the sun light faded entirely, the music grew faster and it seemed as if everyone had decided to join in with the dancing. It was only when Patrick twirled her around that Reece caught sight of the clock tower that stood in the middle of the Fair. It was already a quarter past six, and she had to meet her Brother's at the gate before half past. Panic stricken she pulled away from Patrick and tried to find the quickest way to the front of the fair. He held onto her hand and she turned to explain,  
>'<em>I'm sorry, i lost track of time. I have to go.' <em>Her voice was frantic as she pulled away and began to run through the dancing couples that surrounded them.  
>Patrick ran after her, catching hold of her hand once more as they reached the edge of the dance floor, '<em>Don't go yet, just stay for a little while longer.'<br>'I can't, i wish that i could, but i have to go. I'm sorry, and thank you Patrick, thank you for everything.'  
><em>He squeezed her hand tighter than he had the whole day, before letting her go; she had almost disappeared entirely when he shouted out once more. Reece turned to face him, tears glistening under the lanterns that hung from booth to booth. Patrick ran towards her, desperation building with every step that he took.  
>'<em>How can i find you, i don't even know your last name?'<br>_'_It doesn't matter. If we are meant to, then one day, we'll find each other again.'  
>'But what if we never do, what if all we ever have is today?'<br>'Then we have had one perfect day, and perhaps that is all we are ever meant to have.'  
><em>Tears fell heavily down her cheeks as she stepped closer to Patrick, her lips met his and they kissed each other like they had been in love for their entire lives. But it was all just a fleeting moment, Reece pulled away and ran as fast as she could towards her Brother's who were waiting at the gate just as she had told them too. And all Patrick could do was watch her go, and hope with all that he had that he would one day meet her again.

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><p>Thank you for reading.<br>Please let me know what you thought? It really does mean the world to me when you leave a review.

Katie :)


	4. Unfinished Business

Hello everyone!  
>I'm sorry this has taken me so long to update, but life has been a little hectic lately.<br>It's half term the week after next, so i will be able to add a few more chapters than i normally do then. Although, i'm hoping the school will be snowed off a week early as it's about sixty years old and the water pipes have frozen every year so far :)

This is a little different to the other stories in this collection, but i hope you still enjoy it all the same.  
>It is *loosely* based around Unfinished Business by White Lies, but Mumford &amp; Sons also do a beautiful cover, so take a listen to both if you get a chance.<p>

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><p>A Story for the Jukebox<br>04.  
>Unfinished Business – White Lies<p>

It's funny isn't it, how suddenly your whole world can change. For good or for bad. Due to careful planning or unexpected circumstance. We spend years of our lives dreaming up ideas but never quite getting around to fulfilling them, most are forgotten in the cold light of day; at least, they are until we realise that we no longer have the chance to make them happen. It's only then that it all seems so vitally important. It's only when we know that we can never do something, that we so desperately want it. Unfinished business; the world is abuzz with it.

It was a simple enough instruction. Just stay in the car. That was all he ever had to do. Just stay in the damn car long enough for her to make sure that everything was safe. But he was always so sure that he knew best; Patrick Jane, the ever present and all knowing man. If only that had been true.  
>They had been following up what appeared to be a pretty dull lead when the first shot had been fired from inside the flat of their current suspects. The undeniable sound at echoed through the empty back alley, and Lisbon was practically out of the SUV before it had even stopped. '<em>Call for back- up.' <em>She had shouted as she turned to make her way to flat 16, adding an adamant, '_stay in the car Jane.' _as she reached the door.

The door was open; not enough to see anything of the inside, but to Lisbon it meant that she would at least have the slight advantage of surprise. To the outside world it always appeared that cops thrived on the danger of their job; went looking for it almost, but it wasn't the case. You know that feeling when you are so utterly terrified that you can hear every thump of your heart, you can taste the salty sweat forming on your lips, and you can't breathe for the fear of it? That is what this felt like; heading into the blinding darkness and hoping with all that you are that what is waiting for you on the other side won't mean the end of your life. It wasn't the danger she did this for, but rather the moment afterwards. When you burst through the fear and come to rescue of an innocent victim; when you can go to bed at night and know that you are reason that someone is still alive. That is what kept them all going; if it wasn't for that, not a single cop would be left in the world.  
>With only a step left between Lisbon and the room that she was sure held her fate, she gripped a little tighter to her gun and tried her best to be prepared for whatever would happen next.<p>

'_CBI, guns down, hands in the air!'  
><em>Lisbon had burst in on what appeared to be a standoff between the two men suspected of shooting Jenna Harris, whose body had been found late last night. Samuel Kelly and Franklin Bold were stood not two metres apart from each other, determination etched onto each of their faces.  
>'<em>I said put your guns down.'<em>  
>After a demand that Lisbon had known would be ignored, it seemed as if the world had been frozen in place; no one moved and no one spoke.<br>No one, until Jane that is. Patrick Jane, her ever wayward consultant stepped into the room without her even noticing, and the world changed forever.  
>Samuel had been the only one to see Jane stood in the doorway, catching a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye and acted before he had time for any rational thought; turning to face the door frame he had squeezed the trigger before he even realised it, Lisbon following a moment afterwards with a clean shot to his heart. Samuel was down before the pain even had chance to register, and Lisbon turned her attention to his now pale faced accomplice.<br>'_I said, put your gun down.' _She spat, venom evident in her words. Nothing angered her so much as wasted life, especially when it was at her own hand. It wasn't that she felt guilt as such, she was simply following training and protocol, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Shooting a suspect offered momentary relief; but it was her opinion that real punishment meant facing up to your actions and their consequences, in a court of law.  
>Lisbon watched as Franklin lowered his gun to the ground, kneeling on the floor in front of her. She kicked his weapon out of reach before cuffing his hands securely behind his back. Lisbon was just about to pull him up off of the floor when she caught his eye line; following it to a sight that would forever haunt her memories.<p>

It had all happened so fast, too fast to even really comprehend what was happening to him. Jane had called for backup as instructed, but then he had headed into the flat after Lisbon, his curiosity too great to be ignored. He heard her shouting demands at whomever she had found in the room to the side of the corridor he was currently walking down; a shiver of a thrill ran down his spine despite his usual apathy towards the excitement of a little danger. He headed confidentially into the room, so far this case had been really rather dull and he wouldn't mind the chance to save the day and act the hero for a while.  
>As he stepped down onto the bare floorboards of the small, damp back room of the flat, his eyes met those of Samuel Kelly and his heart faltered at the look of desperation reflecting from them; Jane knew what desperation could do to a man, and Samuel was barely that at just seventeen. The bullet seemed to hit him before the sound of gun fire registered; pain seared through him quicker than his thoughts could follow, a white flamed serge of pain ran rampant throughout his entire being, only to be replaced by a cold emptiness that he had never imagined possible. His lungs burned with a desperate need for oxygen, but his body couldn't seem to follow what his mind was telling it to do. His body now lay limp against the floor, although he wasn't sure how he had gotten down there. Eyes clouded and mouth dry. His body ached with a pain that was so great he couldn't even begin to describe it; the fear and the cold tearing away any legible thought that entered his mind. All he could do was lie there; a terrible warmth emanating from his abdomen, and a last hope that Lisbon was still safe.<p>

Forgetting for a moment where she was; not caring for protocol or rules or regulations, she couldn't have cared less, all she needed was to be by Jane's side and to know that he was ok, that he was still alive. She hadn't even realised he had come into the room, for once she had thought he had listened to her and was still safely sat in the front seat of the SUV with yet another piece of his magically appearing fruit. Why couldn't he have just stayed in the damn car?

Lisbon turned from Franklin who was cuffed against the wall, and stepped the few feet across the room to Jane's side as quickly as she could; faltering momentarily from the frightful contrast of metallic scented crimson seeping through the white shirt that he wore. Kneeling down she found his hand in her own, desperately searching for a pulse to be beating beneath the skin of his wrist.

Her hands grasped tightly around Jane's as the backup that Jane must have called for arrived, she was grateful that it wasn't another member of their team, they didn't need to see the horrors of tonight. She shouted out for them to call 911 from her place by his side, already knowing deep down that they wouldn't make it in time; she had seen far too many victims to be naive to the damage done.  
>The officers reached the room, the elder taking charge and dragging Franklin up onto his feet and towards the door, the younger taking a second to absorb what he saw before calling for an ambulance. And then nothing else mattered to Lisbon except for Jane, because here she was, holding the hand of her best friend in the entire world and trying to ignore the sickening feeling of his blood beneath her knees.<p>

Jane was aware of movement about the room; voices that seemed to be speaking from a mile away and yet heavy footsteps that echoed through his throbbing head. His eyes were slow to respond, heavy and clouded from the unbearable pain that pounded his body with every shallow breath he struggled for. When they opened he was grateful for the moonlight as he was sure that the sun would have been too bright to manage. His eyelids fluttered for a moment before settling on the shaken form of Teresa Lisbon, a ring of golden light shone through the cracks in the window and cast an almost eerie shadow across her features. If the burning pain and ever increasing cold hadn't been enough, her forest green eyes told him all that he needed to know. He was dying.

'_Teresa?' _  
>His voice sounded so strange and distant that she wasn't even sure she had really heard it, but looking into his eyes she was sure that she had. She tried to smile down at him, to offer a little reassurance, but her lips trembled and tears threatened to fall from her already glistening eyes.<br>_'Sshhh Jane, it's ok. You're going to be ok.'  
><em>Lisbon held tighter to him and hoped that her words would hold true; she hoped like never before that he would be ok. That he would be the exception to the rule, that he'd be back to annoy her all hours of the day within a couple of weeks. She had to keep hope, life without Patrick Jane was too awful to even imagine.  
>He raised a shaking hand up to her moonlit face, gritting his teeth against the surge of pain that the movement brought, and allowed the soft warmth of her skin to soak into him. Lisbon leant into his touch, the tears that had been threatening to fall since she first turned towards his broken body streamed down her cheeks and pooled over his icy fingertips.<br>_'I'm sorry Teresa, I'm so sorry.'  
>'No Jane, this isn't your fault. None of this is your fault. You just have to hold on for a little while longer. The ambulance is coming, you're going to be ok Patrick, everything is going to be ok.' <em>She tried her best to keep the tears out of her voice, he needed her strength now more than ever before._  
>'It's ok my dear, i'm not scared of dying. I'm going to see my family again; my little girl and my beautiful wife are waiting in the light. I don't have anything to fear, i'm going to be with my family again.' <em>His voice grew dreamy as he spoke, and Lisbon realised that he was barely in the real world anymore. She searched for the light in his eyes; for a sign that he was still conscious enough to understand what she needed to say, but it was almost gone. He was almost gone.  
>Reaching down she lowered her head so that her lips gently met his, not in a great romantic gesture or a confession of hidden feelings, but as a goodbye to the man whom she loved more than any other, to the best friend that she had ever had.<br>Their lips parted and his eyes flickered in recognition to her loving goodbye, they both knew that his life was being gently beckoned away. He had always thought that one day, after Red John was gone and his heart was able, and she could no longer take the strain of the job she now so greatly loved, that he and Lisbon might have made a life with one another. They would run away from the CBI and live together in perfect contentment; just two people who loved each other as only best friends can, who wanted a little comfort and support in an otherwise lonely world. He hoped that she would find happiness, that she would be stronger than he had ever been able to be and would find a real life with a man who loved her as much as he loved his wife. That's what Lisbon really deserved, the happily ever after of a fairytale life. It was his time to go; to the waiting embrace of his family. Brilliant light was gradually taking over from the living world. Jane wasn't sure if he believe in heaven and hell, but he knew now that there was more waiting for him than the nothingness that he had always so steadfastly believed. Perhaps Lisbon had been right all along, maybe a force far greater than he had ever imagined did exist.  
>His eyes cleared for a second, meeting Lisbon's as he spoke, <em>'I love you Teresa, promise me that you will be happy?'<br>'_ _I promise Patrick.' _ She watched as his eyes lids fell heavily atop each other, a far too familiar distance passing over his handsome features. She swept his beautifully golden hair back from his forehead, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. The coldness still a shock despite knowing that he was gone. And then the realisation hit her, a great wave of emotion taking away all her rational thoughts and any kind of grip she had left on the real world. Patrick Jane was gone. She didn't care that his blood seeped through from his clothes to hers and stuck to her skin in heartbreaking patterns, all she knew was that she had to be with him, that no one should die alone, and so she desperately clung to the lifeless body of the man she loved, and her whole being ached for the loss of her best friend.

Later that night, as she lay in a bed that seemed colder and emptier than ever before, Lisbon realised that unfinished business wasn't always what we thought it was. She had always thought that it was what you were leaving behind; the people that you never got to fully love and the places that you wished you would have visited just one more time. But now she realised how very wrong she had been. Patrick Jane didn't need any more time on this Earth; ever since she had met him he had simply been waiting for this day; for the day when he would finally be reunited with his family. That was his unfinished business, and as much as losing him felt like the end of her world, Lisbon knew that it was only the beginning of Jane's. He was happy; he was where he had always wanted to be. All that was left was for Lisbon to figure out where in the world she was meant to end up; where her unfinished business was to be found, before it was too late. She would see Jane again one day, but for now she just had to get up off of her low, and find a way to fight through the heartbreaking sadness to the life of happiness that he made her promise to find.

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><p>Thank you for reading,<br>Please let me know what you thought?

Hopefully i will be able to update soon..  
>Katie<p> 


	5. Ghosts

Hello everyone.  
>I'm sorry it has been such a long time since i last updated.<br>First off, Happy Valentines Day! (although, it is a little past midnight here, so i guess we're all off the hook for soppy love stories until next year) aha

On to the next chapter.  
>I am adding an <strong>almost M rating<strong> to this one. I'm only seventeen, so there is no actual description of anything too fruity, but rather the theme of smut in hinted at. If you're too young or easily offended, then perhaps skip this one, but i promise that it doesn't contain anything offensive.

Also, i was wondering if anyone (who previously hadn't) listened to any of the songs featured in these stories?  
>Just out of pure curiosity, i would love to know what you think of them.<p>

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><p>A Story for the Jukebox<br>05.  
>Ghosts – Laura Marling<p>

This wasn't love; at least, it wasn't like the pure of heart, knight in shining armour, sweep you off of your feel love that you read about in fairy stories. But, perhaps that didn't mean it wasn't some form of love; an odd fragment of love that was too twisted to be a part of the real world. All she knew is that he needed her, and deep down, she needed him too. Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon; nothing was ever simple when it came to them.

It had started on a particularly humid evening a few months ago; in all honesty, neither could really remember which month it had been, never mind the specific date. This relationship they found themselves in, it felt almost as if things had always happened this way. Jane had retreated to his hideout in the attic hours before, all cases being closed made for a team busy with paperwork, and yet not an awful lot for their blonde haired consultant to do. He had attempted to pass the time by settling into one of the books from the pile that he had been meaning to read for what seemed like years now, but the sun was apparently determined to bake him alive, and his mind was happy to use any excuse possible to wander off from the steady trail of black printed words. Stripping himself of his socks, shoes and jacket, unbuttoning his waistcoat and rolling up his shirt sleeves, Jane relaxed into the magically cool leather of the old settee that he had convinced Lisbon to carry up here with him. And it was exactly that thought that he kept with him as his eyes clouded over and the heat lulled him into the closest thing to sleep that he could ever seem to manage.

By the time the rest of the team had gone home the whole of the CBI seemed to be about ready to boil over. Of course, she was used to the heat, but something about that day seemed to be adding an extra layer of sickly sweat to every inch of Lisbon's body. Her Jacket had been discarded the moment she walked through the door at eight o'clock that morning, and her shirt followed eleven hours later when she was sure that no one else was left to see her stripped down to an unprofessional vest top. She hadn't heard nor seen from Jane for most of the day, and hoped, albeit foolishly, that he had surrendered to the heat and headed home without her realising. But, as she suspected, that was far from the case, which is why she was currently carrying a precariously full jug of ice water up to his attic before leaving for the night. However small a gesture, she liked him to know that they all cared; despite being a perpetual pain in her back side, he still deserved a little love and care once in a while.  
>Walking into the room Lisbon had stumbled a little, splashing water against the clammy heat of her skin and making herself jump somewhat. Jane had looked up at her; leaning onto his elbows from his place on the settee, hair askew and sleeves rolled up in a way that she was ashamed to admit had her heart beating a fraction quicker than it should do. She placed the jug on the windowsill, trying to ignore Jane's eyes that lingered on her in a way that she hadn't expected. The room seemed to Lisbon to heat up to an almost unbearable degree; she felt a fresh layer of sweat wash over her and her cheeks flush crimson. Excusing herself with a polite smile to her wayward consultant, she headed towards the door before he had a chance to observe her flustered state too closely.<br>'_Goodnight Jane.'  
>'Don't go.'<br>_They had spoken simultaneously; words jumbling into one so as to be almost undistinguishable. But Lisbon had known what he meant, how could she not when he was looking at her as he was. Jane had gotten to his feet without her noticing, and so she was met with his dangerously blue eyes as she turned around to ask him what he had said, but it didn't matter. No, as soon as her forest eyes met his, she had known exactly what he wanted; and despite her mind screaming out in rational protest, she knew that ultimately she wanted it to. _  
><em>And then her mind turned from adamantly rational to something altogether more heavenly as the sweet scent of summer skin invaded her senses, and those bright blue eyes were closer to her own than she had ever known them. Jane snaked his left arm around her side; brushing past her barely covered skin as he reached past her to shut the door that she had moments ago been walking out of. His right arm following suit; she was all of a sudden trapped between the warm body of her best friend and the surprisingly cold wood of the attic door, and it sent tingles shooting down her spine in a way that it most definitely shouldn't of. Understanding flickered through her eyes, and it was all the reassurance that Jane needed to close the mere inches that remained between them and capture her lips with his own. Lisbon's hand tangled in the glorious curls of his sandy blonde hair as they shared hot, messy kisses, filled with years of pent up attraction and newly broken vows of chastity. Their lips crashed together in a way that was far from the soft romance that Lisbon had occasionally dreamt of through the years of her and Jane's friendship, instead they were passionate and hungry and exactly what they both needed.  
>Jane's hands moved from their steadfast position at the door to rest on the thin material covering her hips; delicious heat burning through to her skin. Her own body seemed to respond without any input from her brain, but then surely they had gone past thinking the moment he had closed the door she was currently pressed against. Her slightly shaking hands found their way to his shirt buttons, fumbling a little to undo them one after the other. Their lips never parted; their bodies even closer as his strong chest was revealed; sun kissed and more toned than his airy nature let on. Now that there was nothing more than a millimetre of fabric between them and it all seemed suddenly very real to Lisbon.<br>'_Jane.' _Her voice was breathless, barely audible through the anticipation that coursed through the both of them. '_Jane, what are we doing here?'  
>'What we have both always known would happen eventually.' <em>His reply came back deep and husky; the words reverberating between them. And, of course, he was right. He was always right. Everyone knew that their relationship had been on course for this from the moment Lisbon set eyes on her slightly dishevelled consultant all those years ago. It had always just been a matter of time, and that time was now. Lisbon let Jane take control; something in the dangerous glint of his eye told her that it wasn't happening any other way.

Wonderfully exhausted they lay collapsed into each other's arms on the old leather settee; too content to even consider moving from where they lay in case anyone came in; not that that was going to happen, the whole of the CBI was deserted except for a senior agent and her consultant. Neither felt the need to talk, in all honesty they wouldn't have been sure of what to say. The quick succession of heavy kisses had transcended into the rest of the night; neither was naive to what it had been, not even a hint of making love had surfaced. Every movement had been about a desperate need for the feel of another person; a longing for comfort and support. Yes, it had felt like some kind of heaven, but it was nothing more than a need for physical connection. If Lisbon had been in any doubt, the cold metal band pressed against her naked skin was reminder enough. She knew Jane; knew him more than herself perhaps. Patrick Jane wasn't ready for falling in love; he could just about manage friendship some days, but even a broken man needs a little pleasure once in a while. And why shouldn't she be the one to provide it? It was a win-win situation.  
>And so that is how their little arrangement had come about. The sweltering sun, a jug of spilled water, and a longing for the most basic of human desires. Lisbon wasn't even sure of what was said between them; how the agreement to make it a regular occurrence had actually surfaced. Not that it really mattered, they both knew their place and they both stuck to it. From that night on they never allowed themselves to be so blindingly passionate; they kept it out of the office, out of their own homes and as far away from their friendship as they could manage. This wasn't a romantic relationship; it was nothing more than a business deal. Sex. That is all it was. Guilt free, pain free, and emotion free.<p>

Back to the present tense, and not even the sticky memories of their first night of pure, ruthless passion was making any ounce of difference to the horrendous week that they had all been through. After more hours than any of them had expected, hostage negotiations and yet another wasted life, all Lisbon wanted to do was to go home and snuggle up her own bed with a tub of ice cream and an old film. Or, at least, that is what she was telling herself she wanted.  
>The reality however was somewhat different. This thing they were doing, her and Jane; it wasn't as easy as she had thought it was going to be. She knew what she was getting in to. This was Patrick Jane for goodness sake; he might as well come with his own 'detriment to mental health' warning stitched into his perfectly gentlemanly three piece suites. Oh' the suites; they were a dangerous thing to think of at the moment, he was just so very handsome. It was only when Lisbon had been witness to them strewn across the floor that she realised how very lovely he looked in them. And that is where her predicament lay; how was she supposed to carry on with their little arrangement when all she could think of was how much she wanted to go home and snuggle up in bed with Jane. Fully clothed and intending to actually fall asleep. To wake up the next morning; her head on his chest, his hands roaming freely across her skin. To go into the kitchen and make breakfast, shower, go to work, catch a criminal or two, save the day, and then come back home with him at the end of the evening and put the whole glorious cycle on repeat. It was safe to say that she was falling in love. Teresa *i live only for my job* Lisbon was falling desperately in love with Patrick Jane. This was very, very bad news indeed. How on Earth had she let this happen? She knew, she knew exactly what she was supposed to feel, and yet her heart, and her mind, and her whole entire being was screaming out for more. For the whole fairy story ideal of love and marriage and happily ever after. But it was never going to happen, and she just had to live with that knowledge and try her very hardest to move on as quickly as she possibly could.<br>Which meant that her first order of business was to find Jane. The second? Ending their little arrangement then and there, or risk her heart shattering before his very eyes. Despite knowing it was for the best, it didn't make the prospect any more enjoyable. They were, in many ways, each other's security blankets; and this was a prime example. They both needed it. They both wanted it. And it would crush them a little to know that it was over; that the only thing even remotely close to a relationship that either of them had been in for years had to end. But that was the problem. It was only 'close to a relationship', and Lisbon longed for so much more. She had to end it, for both of their sakes. And she had to do it tonight.

At the same time as Lisbon came to her decision that things had to end, Jane realised exactly the same thing. Alone in the attic, the wind blowing in through the cracks in the rotten window frames sending a chill through the room. A chill that made him miss the warm body of Lisbon; sweat mingled with the fruity tones of her shampoo and something altogether Lisbon-ey filling the air as she lay tangled on top of him. The memory of the fateful night that had changed both of their lives fresh in his mind and showing him the error of his ways. Lisbon deserved more than what they had become; a dirty and twisted love that sunk into them like poison. Lisbon, his Lisbon, deserved something pure and meaningful, not a sleazy Motel or the back of his car. He might well be a hideous shell of a man; he might be deserving of a life of one night stands and first names only, but Lisbon was so much more than that. How had he not seen it before? How could he have been so blind to it all? This wasn't them, and it needed to be stopped.

Going to the only place she knew to look for him, Lisbon was suddenly overwhelmed by the desire to run back down the stairs before he heard her from the other side of the door and flee to the safety of her little apartment. She had been so adamant about her actions; but now, standing before the door where it had all begun, she wasn't sure at all. Maybe they would never be together in the traditional sense, but couldn't this be enough? Friendship and physicality. It wasn't so different to the life she dreamt of sharing with Jane. Surely she could sacrifice lazy Sunday mornings and late night tv for something that was almost what she wanted. Wasn't it better to have half of the ideal, than none at all? No. What was she thinking? She couldn't live like that; pretending her whole life to feel differently to how she truly did. Lies and deception; Lisbon saw enough of it come crawling through their office doors to know that she could never live like that. Especially not with Jane. With her best friend, who had already lost so much and experienced an evil that no man should ever have to be witness to. She couldn't do it to him. To herself. It was all or nothing, and at least she could take a little comfort from already knowing the outcome.  
>Gripping tightly to the cold metal of the door handle, Lisbon braced herself to meet a fate that she had deep down been expecting from the moment Jane had clicked the door shut before her all those months ago.<p>

But the scene that met her on the other side of the door shook any ounce of brave faced preparation from her being. For what she saw promised the one thing that she wanted more than anything else in the entire world; an everlasting love.  
>'<em>Jane?' <em>Her voice had turned wispy and distant, shock still holding onto her.  
>'<em>Lisbon my dear, i had hoped you would join me.' <em>He was smiling brightly, obviously impressed with himself. And my goodness he deserved to be. The dank and dingy attic had been transformed into the most beautiful room that Lisbon had ever seen in her entire life. Candles replaced the harsh strip lighting; a beautiful golden glow emanating from every surface. Soft music played from somewhere in the background, along with the distant smell of rich coffee which mingled softly with the ever present tea leaves. And then there was the settee. The settee that was theirs in every sense of the word was draped in inviting blankets, piled with cushions and surrounded by brightly coloured bedding that had been too much for the cool leather to keep a hold of.  
>Jane walked over to where Lisbon stood; her feet rooted to the ground due to a state of wonderful surprise. His hand snaking around her waist in a way that was suddenly very familiar, he closed the door behind her and made sure the lock clicked. But this time he was gentle, his hand finding Lisbon's as he guided her towards the settee. Sitting down she tried to speak, to ask him what this all meant, but he interrupted before she had even managed the first syllable. Letting go of her hands for a moment, he reached into his Jacket pocket and placed his most treasured possession tenderly into her hands. Looking up at his eyes she saw none of the danger that had been there the last time she had called in on his attic hideaway; rather openness and hope were reflected back at her. She wanted to speak. She wanted to tell him that he didn't need to do this; that she understood. But again he spoke before she even had the chance to find the words.<br>'_I know what you're going to say; that i don't have to do this and you don't expect me to. And that is why i want to. Because you, Teresa Lisbon, are so willing to risk your own heart for everyone else, that you never stop to realise that it is time someone did the same for you. You know what i am; you know the secrets and the ghosts of my past, and yet you're still here. These past few months, i have been selfish and pig headed. I never stopped to think about the consequences of what we were doing. Of what i was doing to you. I realised tonight that it had to end, but the mere thought of going back to pure friendship was too much to bear. It took the thought of losing the twisted mess that we had for me to realise that the only reason i wanted it was for the hope of what it held. Subconsciously i thought that having half of a life with you was better than having none, but i was wrong. I want it all Teresa, i want the whole picture or none at all. I hope that you do to, but i will understand if you don't. If i have made a mistake, then i just hope that you can forgive me, because i couldn't go on living if i didn't have your friendship. But i need you to know that i want so much more than just that. I want to go to bed with you at night, and wake up in the morning knowing that you are still tucked safely next to me. I want it all; marriage, babies, even a puppy if that is what you want. I don't mind what our future holds, as long as it holds something.'  
><em>She could hardly breathe; everything she had ever wanted was coming true, and it was happening with the one person that she loved the most in the entire world.  
><em>'I want that too Jane. I came here tonight intent on telling you that we had to stop; i couldn't go on pretending that i didn't feel something that i so obviously do. I know that it's going to be difficult, and i know that we're two of the most haunted people in the whole world, but perhaps that i was makes us so perfect for one another. We understand what it is like to have a past filled with heartache and sorrow; that the ghosts never quite leave you, but that is ok. So yes, a thousand times yes, i want a house, and a baby, and a puppy with you. I want a life with you.'<br>_  
>When they had both said all that they needed to say; tears threatening to cascade down Lisbon's cheeks and laughter echoing from the both of them, Jane reached over and met Lisbon's lips once more with his own. Only this time, it wasn't hurried and desperate. Their true first kiss was sweet, and tender, and filled with love. They had their whole lives together; there really was no need to rush.<p>

* * *

><p>The End.<br>Well, at least for this story.  
>I will hopefully be back at some point this week as we are on half term until Monday :)<p>

Please let me know what you thought?  
>And thank you very much for reading.<br>Katie xx


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